Verdigre Manhunt Ends In Two Arrests

“Shortly thereafter, it was discovered a white Dodge pickup was stolen from a nearby residence,” the post said. “While the officer was still there, the stolen Dodge pickup returned and sped west on Highway 12 towards Niobrara, Nebraska.”

The post reported that the officer followed the vehicle through Niobrara and south on Highway 14 toward Verdigre. The Verdigre Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop the vehicle, which drove around Verdigre before going south on county road 521 Drive.

“The vehicle went around county barricades and warning signs of the ‘Walton’ bridge being washed out and drove until the road ended and into a pasture at which time two people jumped out and ran on foot,” the sheriff’s office reported.

The search for the suspects was hampered due to the large amount of trees, rugged terrain and lack of roads. The post noted that a Nebraska State Patrol helicopter and canine units were brought to the scene, as was as manpower from the Nebraska Game and Parks, Nebraska State Patrol and Antelope County Sheriff’s Office. Some local citizens also assisted law enforcement in the manhunt.

The search was discontinued at about 10 p.m. Friday night and resumed the next morning with officers from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the Verdigre Police Department.

“Based on an investigation with in cooperation with the Yankton Police Department and the Santee Sioux Nation Tribal Police, two suspects were developed by the local agencies,” the sheriff’s office reported.

At about mid-morning Saturday, an ATV was reported stolen in the general area of the search, “and contact with the suspects was made south of Verdigre by a citizen who called law enforcement,” the post said. “The suspects were contained along the Verdigre Creek by the local agencies while more manpower was brought back in.”

A search along the creek by officers from Verdigre Police, Knox County Sheriff’s Office and Nebraska State Patrol, again aided by citizens, ended with the apprehension of two juveniles, a 15-year-old male from South Dakota and a 16-year-old female from rural Niobrara, Nebraska. They were caught along the banks of the Verdigre creek.

The post said the suspects were treated by the Verdigre Rescue Squad for dehydration and cuts and bruises.